We’ve got to thank our pal John Ulaszek for the tip on this group of 1970s photos of cars on the streets of New York City. Taken by a shooter named Langdon Clay, they are fantastic captures of the cars and the gritty city they were photographed in. The link has a small sampling of photos that are part of a far larger collection which will be published by Steidl, a company that specializes in neat photo books.

According to the story at the link below, the photos were all taken between 1974 and 1976, always at night, and on the famed Kodachrome film which was revolutionary and pretty awesome stuff for its day and age. The colors in the photos are striking and they highlight the masterful work and skills of Langdon Clay.

Taking nothing away from today’s talented high level photographers, we have massive respect for the guys and girls who were shooting like this a few decades ago. They did not have the ability to see what they were doing in the back of a camera, to rely on the latest and greatest microchip to handle the lighting conditions, or alter their work in post-production software. All of those things are an evolution of the art. This is raw and beautiful stuff.

The cars are not stuff that you’ll be freaking out over, many are just mundane. In this case it is the interaction of the cars and their surroundings, how they look, and the story they tell of 1970s New York.

We’re loving the hell out of these.

Click for killer 1970s photos of cars on the streets of New York City